Submarine rescue ship



Feb. 10, 1931. H. L. PEGG 1,792,118

SUBMARINE RESCUE SHIP Filed Oct. 15. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l H r. -I i 30 E .12, t::-;;- i /3 3 z I .L a

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SUBMARINE Filed Oct. 15, 1928 PEGG RESCUE SHIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 10, 1931' l it UNIr-Ebi sTa-rEs HENRY L. PEGG, on ST. nanny-MINNESOTA "sunnmnin'n RESCUE snrr Application filed October 15, 1928, term 312,455. a

invention relates to: a marine rescue device designedparticularly forsavlng lives of men'in sunken submarines although the device is also: highly useful in recovering valuable cargoes of submerged vessels, as hereinafter fully: set forth reference. being had to the accompanying drawings, in

Fig. l is a top viewof a preferred form of 3@ my device as'mounted' operatively in an end of a submarine; v

Fig.2 is a centrally longitudinal section of Fig 1 about ason line 2--7.

Fig.3 is a side elevation of asubmarine with my improved device in operative position against the sideof a sunken ship; a

Fig; 4 is a rear elevation of a preferred type of submarine embodying my improved rescue device.

rear or left part of Fig. 3 show1ng as a modificationa universal joint embodied in its con-' struction adjacent the work chamber otthe device. j r

7 Referring to the drawing by reference numerals '10 designates a submarine vessel hereinafter designated as the submarineor rescue ship, this vessel being preferably elongated and may have near its front end an upwardly projecting pilot-house 11. 12 are a set of propellers provided in suitable numbers at various-parts of the vessel and eachor all mounted'rotatably so'as to enable them to be directed according to the directionin which it is desired to move the rescue ship. The major part of this ship may be divided into any suitable arrangement of first-aid, operating, rest and machineryrooms or compart ments, not definitely shown in the drawing except a machine room containing the necessary power plant r V V The rear central part of the ship may be semi-cylindrical with a rearward central opening-14 in which is rotatab'lyfmonnted a transverse horizontal main drum'15 the central part of which is exposed in'sai'd' opening but its ends rotatably journaled water-' tight within the said semi-cylindrical end part of the vessel. Around the central part.

of said drumI provide'a fixed ring gear 16 Fig. 5 is-a partly sectional elevation of thewith which meshes a drive pinion 17 1) receiving rotary motion through a suitable transmission housing .18. and a drive shaft 19 of the power plant 13.

a=It'will-beunderstood that the ends main drum 15 open into the interior of the vessel where a stairway as 20 may lead to the upper'interior of the submarine and just above the main drum the vessel has a rear vertical wall in" which are windows 21 through which an operator M can watch while manipulating control means for my. improved submarine device which will now be described. The drum 15 is'provide'd with-a rearwardly directed integral outlet or throat 22xthe. rear end of-which is concentric of'and opens into a cylindrical headr23.p From the rear weer said head 2.3 extends a cylindrical, concentric mouth 24E the extremity of which comprises a cylindrical ring 2430f flexible rubber-like material, having" preferably a circular =face groove 24G. Thus when the mouth part 24 is pressed against a hard S111" face the member will stick to it. because of the semi-vacuum created, similar to rubber dish-shaped caps used for various purposesv as well known; It will'be readily under: stood that this head construction provides a continuous. opening "from mouth 24 through head 23 and neck 22 to the interior of the main drum 15, the; passage being narrower in the mouth and neck parts the re: spective communicating openings being des-: ignated as A, B and C, of which B. is comparatively large'comprising the main interior of head23. 7

It will now be readily seen that the head or shell 23 can be oscillated in a vertical plane by rotating ring gear-'16 so that the head can be brought to any angle and its mouth opening adapted to be pressed against the side of a submerged vessel, as at 25 in Fig. 2. The head 23' may also be directed in various other angles by making the neck in the form of a universal, semi-globular joint as 225 in Fig. 5, which of course makes the device longer'but-enables the deviceto bepressed against the sides of a submerged vessel 'S,'regardless of the position in which 100 said vessel lies. 26 are a number of parallel piston bores in the rear of head 23 and each of which is reciprocable a piston 27 and its rod 28 extending outwardly and rearwardly of the head, the outer end of each rod being each provided with a rearwardly opening dish-shaped vacuum-cup member 29 also arranged to be pressed against the submerged vessel when air or steam pressure is admitted into the cylinder 26 at one side of piston 27. To release the cups 29, pressure element is admitted into the cylinder at the opposite end. Thus a number of circularly arranged vacuum members form auxiliary holding means and mouth piece 24 is held against the side of the vessel in water tight condition and portion of the vessel S thus exposed in bore A. N in Fig. 2 designates a man operating an electric torch 28 or other metal cutting device to make an opening in the wall of the submerged vessel. After cutting such a hole the interior of the sunken submarine is accessible and men or articles may be taken out of the sunken vessel through passages A, B, C and up stairway 20 to the interior of the rescue ship.

30 designates a number of suitable cable drums or so-called winches mounted on head 23 and by each of which is controlled a cable 31 which has a hook 32 arranged to engage a fixed part as 33 of a sunken vessel.

Each winch may bev rotated by a gear 34 on its shaft within the shell of head 23, and a drive pinion 35 meshing therewith, power being supplied for each pinion 35 by any suitable means such as an individual motor 36. Obviously, these devices exteriorly of the head 23 must be attached to the sunken vessel by a diver.

When my submarine rescue vessel is not in operation as such but traveling the head 23 is fixed in a position straight back from the vessel and the passages A-O are closed by suitable gates 37-38 pivoted one near each of the said passages as at 39 (Fig. 2).

In Fig. 5, 40 are cable winches mounted on the exterior of the neck part 27 nearest the vessel and from said winches cables 41 are extended and fixed to adjacent parts of head 23 as at 42 manipulation of the winches 40 and corresponding pulls on cables 41 enables operator M to set the head 23 at any required side angle to be pressed against the submerged vessel. In Fig. 3 the deviceis shown applied to the side of sunken mechant vessel S having water tight compartments accessible with my device.

It is almost superfluous to state that the operator M is located in a position to readily observe all operations, all control levers, designated 44 in Fig. 2, are located in front of and operated by said person \I.

Various signal means as from the pilothouse, or the rear operators place, to the engine room are installed as needed and are not illustrated being well known in nautical fields. Details such as providing proper air pressure in the head 23 and air conducting means to the cylinders from an air pump or reservoir are not illustrated, being mere matters of mechanical application.

I claim: a

1. A submarine rescue ship of the class described comprising a submergible vessel having an end rounded transversely and an opening in said rounded portion; a main cylinder rotatably mounted in said rounded end and closing said aperture the opposite ends of said cylinder opening into the hull of the vessel, and hollow means extending radially from said cylinder outwardly from the vessel and adapted to be removably engaged against a submerged object; said hollow means comprising a tubular neck communicating with the interior of said main cylinder, acylindrical head and a cylindrical mouth piece thereon, said neck, head and mouth piece arranged integrally in concentric alinement of their hollow interior and means within said head for selectively closing communication between said head and rescue ship or with said mouth piece at any angle within the range of rotary movement of the cylinder.

2. The structure specified in claim 1; and a number of cylinders in the rear part of said head and arranged outwardly of its mouth, pistons arranged to be reciprocated in said. cylinders and the rods of said pistons extended outwardly, suction cups fixed one on each of said rod ends exteriorly of the head, said cups arranged to frictionally engage a sul merged object extern ally of the head.

3. A submarine rescue ship comprising a submersible hull having suitable propelling means a tubular member extending from said vessel and mounted therein to be oscillated in a predetermined upright plane, said member comprising a main cylinder mounted rotatably in the vessel, a tube extending radially as a neck therefrom, a cylindrical head integral with the outer part of said tube and a tubular mouth piece extending outwardly from said head, means closing communication between said neck the head and said mouth piece, a fixed and outer ring of yield able material on said latter piece and concentric of its opening and adapted to be pressed against a submerged object in water-tight condition and a control station within the vessel near said tubular member.

4. The structure specified in claim 3, in which said neck tube is of two parts enlarged at their connected ends to form a universal joint for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

HENRY L. PEGG. 

